22
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to fly LiPo batteries after they get "puffy"?
You should dispose of them.
A LiPo battery has three parts: the anode (negative plate), the cathode (positive plate), and electrolyte (sandwiched in between the two plates). Electricity is formed by ...
- 414
13
votes
Accepted
Disposing of a drone safely
In the UK a drone would almost certainly be considered WEEE waste (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.)
You can take WEEE waste to your local waste handling/recycling facility; alternatively, ...
- 6,056
12
votes
In what situations do puffy batteries pose a risk of ignition?
The risk of a puffy battery exploding during storage is still comparatively low, you shouldn't underestimate it however.
During charging the risk of explosion is at its peak. This is also the reason ...
- 577
11
votes
Disposing of a drone safely
A bit of a frame challenge here... but you could try to sell it for parts or give it away at no cost to someone who wants to try repairing it. This keeps it out of landfills / recycling depots, and ...
- 211
11
votes
Disposing of a drone safely
The best option is to break it down and separate the parts into the following:
carbon (frame, frame parts)
plastic
metal parts (screws, standoffs)
wire
electronics (flight controller, ESC, motors, ...
- 1,226
9
votes
In what situations do puffy batteries pose a risk of ignition?
"Puffed" batteries are both more and less dangerous. I am drawing from over 10,000 FPV flights where I beat the mortal sh*t out of lipos and also from over 3000 battery charges I have ...
- 1,068
8
votes
Disposing of a drone safely
In most cases, you're going to do everyone a huge favor by removing the liPo batteries and taking them to a place where they can be recycled or disposed of safely. In the US, there are many locations ...
- 351
7
votes
Accepted
How to identify and address multirotor motor overheating
Assuming that you've spec'ed a good propeller-motor match and the heat isn't generated by a tiny motor being forced to drive a giant propeller, the heat generation is likely due to a physical issue ...
- 6,018
6
votes
Accepted
How close can a drone be to a wind turbine in Germany?
very intersting question
I am in your situation as well flying LOS of course: in the EU assuming you are operating an A3 Open Category UAS, according to EASA, we should keep the drone (fixed wing or ...
- 481
6
votes
Accepted
Effect of motor load on ESC?
The primary thing that high torques affect in a brushless motor is the current flowing through. It obviously affects your ESCs, but also the motors themselves: high currents have been known to melt/...
- 2,997
5
votes
Accepted
Recommend safe distance from other drone flyers
In this situation, I would approach the other flyer(s) to say hello and discuss this with them to prevent misunderstandings or differences of opinion - for example, if the other flyer is new they ...
- 6,056
4
votes
Recommend safe distance from other drone flyers
Regulation only says that a drone shouldn't be "flown in a way that could be dangerous to people," so it's really up to you. I recommend staying fairly far away just to prevent any possible accidents ...
- 5,792
4
votes
How hot should an ESC get?
Like you said in your answer, it does depend on the ESC... so you definitely want to look into the specifications for your particular components. However, to be safe, a good rule of thumb suggested ...
- 1,053
4
votes
Effect of motor load on ESC?
I feel like it's important enough to mention this to create a new answer even though there's a ton of good information here already, as you mention it's the transient currents that kill ESCs. To be ...
- 1,210
4
votes
Accepted
What is the most invisible obstacles to avoid and notice when flying a drone?
Overhead wires are probably the biggest issue. You really have to watch out for the poles and use them to ensure you're high enough to avoid the wires because you often won't see the wires until it's ...
- 7,428
3
votes
Can nitro engine run on gasoline (RON95)?
While alcohol or alcohol/nitromethane engines ("glow engines") won't run on gasoline without modification (fuel mixture too rich and may not be possible to lean out enough, glow plug ...
- 307
3
votes
How tight should the screws at the bottom of the motor shaft be?
There are a few things that may be happening.
Tighter and flying bad screams bad mounting. A prototype I was working on last week had this problem. As I tightened the motor, the c-clip on the base ...
- 1,068
3
votes
Accepted
How to secure the screw on a BLDC motor shaft
Use red or better. Blue and sub-red are explicitly designed to loosen with low to medium heat. (in the manual)
FWIW, thread lock is little more than an increasingly heat resistance paint, close in ...
- 1,068
3
votes
Effect of motor load on ESC?
With a larger prop the load on the motor increases. It's possible you'd need an ESC with a slightly higher amp rating, but also be aware that you may burn out your motor too. It's best to choose your ...
- 33
2
votes
Accepted
How hot should an ESC get?
It really depends on the ESC. Different ESC's have different ratings.
Many ESCs would perform best under 85°C and some microcontrollers work better if under 70°C. But there are ESCs that can work ...
- 5,792
2
votes
Effect of motor load on ESC?
Yes, it likely will require an ESC with a higher current rating. As a general rule of thumb, if it takes more work to spin a propeller, the ESC needs to be capable of safely providing more power.
...
- 6,018
2
votes
How to secure the screw on a BLDC motor shaft
According to Wikipedia, threadlockers like 3M Loctite work by using a special fluid that resists movement of the bolt to which it's applied by increasing static friction. They're produced in different ...
- 6,018
1
vote
Can we use two radio receivers on drone with different frequencies to increase range possibilities and safety?
I'm not aware of any flight controller software that accepts multiple receiver inputs, although some receivers can use multiple 'satellite' receivers bound to the same transmitter.
Generally, if ...
- 7,428
1
vote
Can nitro engine run on gasoline (RON95)?
No, nitro engines won't run on gasoline. They don't have a spark plug.
There are model engines that are designed to run on gasoline. However they're generally much larger. The engine you show has a ...
- 7,428
1
vote
Accepted
Can boosting the Caddx vista to 1200mw cause damage to the unit?
As far as I can tell, after doing some digging, There are a few things to consider when boosting a Caddx Vista to 1200mw. First, the Caddx Vista tends to get hotter that the DJI air unit, so heat is ...
- 5,792
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible